Energy Levels: Get Your Fizz Back

At some stage, everyone’s energy levels start to flag. Dr Ela Manga, medical director of the Woodlands Wellness Centre, explains: “Every person has, at some time in their lives, experienced fatigue, which can only be described as a feeling of low energy, lethargy and listlessness. The rhythm of life should be a balance between rest and activity, but our way of life seldom allows for this.”

She adds that if you think you’re fatigued, it is vital to see if this is related to your lifestyle or if it is a symptom of something more serious. “Many people experience symptoms of adrenal burnout without even realizing it. We push our bodies and minds beyond what we are physiologically designed for, and work against the natural rhythms of our body and of nature, and completely ignore the need to slow down and take a break,” she warns.

Discover the following surprising ways to boost flagging energy:

1. Listen to your body

Osteopathy is considered to be a good “hands-on” therapy that involves no surgery, medication or gimmicks. According to Cape Town practitioner Dr Guy Ashburner, it aims to restore the normal structure of the muscoloskeletal system, which in turn improves the function of the nervous, circulatory and immune systems, and allows for faster healing, reducing pain, congestion, and restriction in the body. The aim of osteopathy is to correct problems in the body frame, making it easier for your body to function normally, and limiting the chance of problems occurring in the future.

2. Beat your chest

Perhaps King Kong has the right idea after all. Manga says one of the quickest ways to get a boost on energy is to tap on your sternum, as this helps to stimulate your thymus gland, which – according to energy medicine – controls the life energy of your body and is vital for you immune system function. This is how you get the best benefit from this:

Be completely relaxed. Place your feet shoulder-width apart.

Make sure your feet is centered on the balls of your feet, rather than on your heels.

Make a loose fist and start tapping on the middle of your chest.

The first tap should be firm, pausing for a second, followed by two lighter taps. This should create a drumming sound in your chest, as the vibration of your sternum will help improve your thymus gland.

Breathe naturally throughout.

3. Sip from nature’s nectar

Feeling a dip of energy mid-afternoon? Perhaps you should count how many glasses of water you have had since you woke up. We know we should ideally be drinking eight glasses of water for our general health and well-being, but did you know that keeping up your fluid intake will ensure that you keep the pep in your step?

“We are made of approximately 67% of water,” explains Ashburner. Poor hydration inhibits normal physiology functions of the nervous system, gastrointestinal tract and your circulatory and lymphatic systems.” All of which, when properly hydrated, will raise your energy levels. If you want to stay hydrated and increase your electrolytes, try coconut water. Click here to discover all of its benefits.

4. Keep moving for better energy

Humans are designed to be on the move regularly. As adults, we should spend up to:

60% of our time sitting

30% of our time walking

10% of our time standing

But this doesn’t happen. The average person sits for 1 hours a day, but our spine was not designed for this. “Look to the youth,” Ashburner says. “They cannot sit still for long and, even when they do sit, they constantly shift around. Our bodies are not genetically designed to stay still,” he adds. This sedentary nature we have acclimatized to has resulted in poor posture when we sit, inhibiting our body.

You need to move more in your chair, as this supplies nutrients to your spine, and increases your blood circulation and the supply of oxygen, which in turn will increase your vitality. Click here to find out how our muscles work.

5. Be social

“Feeling energetic is key to feeling happy,” explains author of The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin. “Studies show that when you feel energetic, you feel much better about yourself. On the other hand, when you feel exhausted, tasks that would ordinarily make you feel happy can make you feel overwhelmed and blue. Talk to your friends. I’ve noticed that if I’m feeling low, and then run into a friend, I walk away feeling much more energetic. Reach out if you need that boost.”